"It's been two weeks and that thing still hurts"-Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on hand injury after Paris Olympics

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently asked her social media fans whether to get a cast on her bruised hand. She hit her hand last week, shortly after her Paris Olympic campaign, and the persisting pain prompted her to reach out to fans.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won her second successive 400m hurdles Olympic gold in Paris, clocking a new world-record time of 50.37 seconds, thus surpassing herself for the sixth time. She also helped the United States win gold in the women's 4x400m relay.

McLaughlin-Levrone has now disclosed that she suffered an injury on her hand after hitting a hard object last week.

"I don't bother you guys for trivial things but indulge me. Last week, I hit my hand on something very very hard. Don't ask me how, there's really no story to tell...Smacked my hand super hard on something, there were two contusions. I've hit some things, I've hit hurdles.. that thing hurt bad," the 25-year-old said.

"Immediately, I saw it was swollen and there were two contusions but it subsided in a couple of days. But it's been a week and that thing still hurts. We're not gonna be dramatic, nothing's broken but if we were to be dramatic, do we think I need a cast?" she added.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone injury update; Instagram - @sydneymclaughlin16

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone treats every race as her first

After unfurling her victory flag and walking the track with a crown, the 25-year-old opened up about her never-done-this-before mindset going into every race.

"I treat every meet like its own. So, this was my first time in Paris racing for this Olympic gold. I was just treating it like this was my first time here, and, trying to go for it the same way," the fourth-time Olympic gold medalist shared.

Her arch-rival Femke Bol, who won the 400m hurdles title at the 2023 World Championships in McLaughlin-Levrone's absence, settled for bronze at the Paris Olympics with 52.15s. Bol is the second person in history after the reigning Olympic champion to clock under 51 seconds.

Apart from her Olympic exploits, McLaughlin-Levrone has won all of her individual races so far in 2024, across different discplines. These include 100m hurdles, 200 meters and 400 meters.